A Simple Way to Make Life Easier for ADHD Kids

Parenting a child with ADHD isn’t easy, but new evidence suggests that these kids can benefit from technologies originally developed for the elderly.

SINTEF researchers are now investigating whether technologies such as digital calendars and smart watches can also help children with ADHD better manage their daily lives. “Our experience is that it takes time to set the systems up and that using them can sometimes be difficult,”says researcher Øystein Dale. “But we can also claim that these are aids that can be of benefit to these groups.”

For example, children and young people with ADHD can find it difficult to keep appointments and easy to forget what they have to bring with them in different situations. Their lives can be made easier if they use a smartwatch or a calendar displayed on a mobile phone or tablet. Such aids may use a combination of pictures, sounds or text to remind them about where they have to be and when, and the things they have to do.

Dale, together with SINTEF colleague Lisbet Grut, has been looking into how smartphones, tablets, smart watches and shared calendar systems can provide support for children and their families in their everyday lives.Since most modern children are already fascinated by technology, these interventions are a typically a welcomed way to help ADHD kids stay on task. “We believe that our knowledge about how technology can be applied may enable children to function better in their day-to-day lives, both at school and in other social situations,” says Dale. “This will contribute towards enhancing their quality of life, and that of their families.”